"88+ Ways Music Can Change YOUR Life" - Volume 1

It was a little over a year ago that I had this crazy idea to publish a book full of inspirational music stories. I thought if people knew how music had impacted so many lives then maybe together we could all support music just a little bit more. Well I'm here to tell you that we did it! On June 1st, My wife Joann and I published the book "88+ Ways Music Can Change Your Life" featuring 165 inspirational stories and quotes from musicians, songwriters, music teachers, TV/movie producers & actresses and music fans from all over the world.

There are stories that will make you laugh, stories that will get you thinking, and yes there are absolutely stories that will bring tears to your eyes. We have found it truly amazed at the many ways music has brought joy and comfort to so many.

Also contributing to "88+ Ways" were almost 2 dozen Grammy winning and Platinum selling artists, songwriters & composers and even a few TV & Film actresses you might know.

To learn more about it and read an excerpt please visit: "88+ Ways Music Can Change Your Life" on Amazon

Recording artists and songwriters contributing to "88+ Ways" include Bobby Kimball (Toto), Simon Kirke (Bad Company & Free), Vanessa Carlton, Siedah Garrett (Michael Jackson), Rick Wakeman (Yes), Rob Parissi (Wild Cherry/”Play That Funky Music”), Rob Hyman & Eric Bazilian (The Hooters), Billy Steinberg (Madonna), Bill Champlin (Chicago), Mark King (Level 42), Bobby Hart (The Monkees), Ciaran Gribbin (INXS), Rose Kingsley (Metropolitan Opera Singer & Ballerina) and Grammy winning Children's artist The Battersby Duo.

Film and TV actresses contributing stories include Audrey Landers (Dallas), and Darcy Donavan (Anchorman, My Name is Earl).

TV/Film/DVD producers & composers contributing include Fred Mollin (Friday the 13th, Hard Copy, Beyond Reality), Michel Rubini (Nemisis, The Hitchhiker, Tales from the Crypt), Jay Gruska (Cocoon-Movie, Supernatural-TV, Charmed-TV), Sara Flatow (Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Scandal)

50% of the proceeds from all book & ebook sales will be donated to foundations providing music instruments and lessons to schools and communities in need.

"88+ Ways Music Can Change Your Life" on Amazon

TEACH MUSIC AMERICA coming in March 2015

The month of March has been officially designated by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) for the observance of Music In Our Schools Month (MIOSM®). This is the time of year when music education becomes the focus of schools across the nation. MIOSM began as a single statewide celebration in 1973, and has since grown to become a month long celebration of school music beginning in 1985.

This celebration aligns perfectly with the mission of "Keep Music Alive", so we have decided to make 2015 the first year we will also celebrate Teach Music America across the United States (and eventually beyond).

What is "Teach Music America"? "Teach Music America" will be celebrated the 3rd week of March (3/16 - 3/22) and during this week we are asking all music teachers to find at least one new students to teach a free 30 minute lesson to that week. We are also asking all interested music students (children and adults) to try and find a music teacher participating in "Teach Music America" so they can take one free lesson that week.

Why is this important? We all know that sometimes the biggest hurdle to anything is just getting started. We believe that by encouraging music teachers and potential students to reach out to each other during the month of March, many of them will continue to teach and learn music from each other long after the month is over. Our goal is to get as many new students starting to learn how to play music as we possibly can. Only by creating interest in new students will the art of music continue in our society.

The purpose of "Teach Music America" and "Keep Music Alive" is to help remind people how important and valuable music is and all the reasons why. We believe that the combination of

• The switch from CD/MP3 sales to music streaming
• Cuts in arts & music education
• Less live music venues

are collectively leading music down a troubling path. With “Keep Music Alive” we are looking to push back in the other direction as much as we can so that future generations will continue to enjoy quality new music. With regard to music streaming, that ship has sailed, but we want to see artists and songwriters fairly compensated for their music by the numerous streaming services. We also would like to see music consumers reminded of the value of music they are listening to - Music is not free and needs to be paid for in some manner if we want quality new music continued to be created. We don't have all the answers of how this can happen but we want to help be a part of the discussion for sake of future generations of music makers and music lovers.

"Keep Music Alive" is also publishing the book "88+ Ways Music Can Change Your Life" in May 2015. "88+ Ways" will feature inspirational music stories & quotes from musicians, music educators and music lovers from all over the world. The book will also summarize some of the latest research on the importance of music along with ideas and examples on how schools and communities can help their own music programs.

For more information on Teach Music America and Keep Music Alive please visit www.KeepMusicAlive.org where weekly updates will be posted beginning March 1st.

That's all for today it's been a busy month of February already as we near our story submission deadline for "88+ Ways Music Can Change the World". We are both thrilled and honored at the number of artists, songwriters and others who have graciously submitted an inspirational story or quote for the book. Collectively we are going to absolutely raise the awareness of how important music is to all of us. We thank you all from the bottom of our heart for joining us on this journey!

Music, Love & Laughter

Vincent James @ www.KeepMusicAlive.org
www.TeachMusicAmerica.org

Russian Artist directs a 12 Robot Orchestra

Yes you read the headline right, Russian artist and composer Dmitry Morozov has been working on his robotic endeavors for several years and has now come up with a 12 piece Robot Orchestra that he personally conducts. The project is called Nayral-Ro and the "musical" sounds are derived from scientific algorithms. The robots performances are then controlled by hand movements made through a motion controller.

The result of this technological wonder is not exactly what you were hoping for, at least not yet. For anyone that remembers dial-up internet from the 1990's, you'll definitely recall the sounds your modem made when connecting you to the internet. The combined result of the this robot orchestra sounds a lot more like a Modem Symphony than a musical piece. What Dmitry Morozov has created so far is an elegant way to direct and conduct a dozen machines playing what I'll call "bits and bytes" music. While it's not exactly pleasing to the ear, it is a step towards eventually being able to have a human conduct multiple robot musicians performing a musical piece we'll recognize and perhaps someday enjoy.

We originally came across Dimitry and his Nayral-Ro project in thie article: Muse.org - Russian-Artist-Conducts-a-Robot-Orchestra/. Check it out and you'll be able to listen to the sounds of his latest creation.

The obvious question now is, are we ready for a robot orchestra? Are we ready to have human musicians replaced by machines?? I hope the answer is a resounding no, however I fear the future on this topic has already been written. I'm all for technological advances, but when it comes to expressing human feelings through music and art, I don't see how machines however well programmed can compete with the human heart and soul. We'll check back in from time to time on advances in this field and we'll see where it's going. Hopefully they will find a way to retain the human element in futuristic machine performances of music.

Wow I can't believe it was 12 days from my last blog post, we are really slacking :) Actually we've been working very hard on our Keep Music Alive Mission and looking for stories for our upcoming book "88+ Ways Music Can Change Your Life". If you'd like to learn more about mission and how you can contribute a story or quote for the book please visit www.lovesongs.com/KeepMusicAlive. Have a great day and we'll be back soon - sooner than 12 days this time :)

Music, Love & Laughter

Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

"Eye Play the Piano" Helps Physically Impaired Children Play the Piano

The power and reach of technology grows every year, and now a Japanese company has created a way for disabled children (and adults) to be able to play the piano using only their eyes. The company FOVE has teamed up with the University of Tsukuba to invent a headset that tracks the eye movement of the user. This of course has many possible applications, but in this case it is being used to play the piano. The wearer of the headset simply looks at panels on the virtual reality headset and this triggers piano notes and even chords.

The system appears to have at least 3 different modes, one where the user can play single notes, a second mode where they can play chords with accompanying bass notes, and a third where they can play a melody and a chord and/or bass note is played along with their melody.

How amazing and awesome is this! Now children who could previously never dream of playing the piano, can now do so and not only play existing songs, but also learn to write new songs utilizing this technology. This opens up a whole new world of playing and creating music for an audience who will immensely benefit from this capability. Take a look at this short 3 minute video demonstration that shows a young boy playing the piano accompanying a choir of physically impaired children singing "Joy to the World".

We first read about this amazing invention though an article in The Guardian here: The Guardian: "Disabled Play Piano Using Virtual Reality Headset". In the article they explain a bit more about the technology and where its leading to next. FOVE and the University of Tsukuba are now seeking funding to help distribute this technology to schools for the physically impaired. Presumably this will start in Japan and hopefully soon spread to the rest of the world. Personally I can't wait to see what future capabilities develop through this as the technology continues to evolve and becomes available to more children and adults who can benefit from it.

That's our musical tech tidbit for the day. We hope you all had a great week and will be back with another post early in the week. Stay warm (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere) and stay safe!

Peace, Love & Music,

Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

How Do You Keep Teenagers Interested in Music Lessons???

Many times children will start out learning to play an instrument when they are in elementary school. Very often it will be piano lessons at home, or perhaps a band instrument at school including trumpet, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trombone and drums/percussion being the most popular. However, by the time these same children become teenagers and begin entering high school, their interest in music and music lessons often begins to fade.

There a number of reasons for this of course, not the least of which the number of distractions now presenting themselves these days. Teenagers now have computers, laptops, tablets, cell phones, cable TV, Netflix, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, Tumbler, and the grand daddy of all social media Facebook. With all of these entertainment options and distractions now available is it any wonder that teenagers today have a hard time wanting to stay focused on music and continue learning their instrument.

I can think of several ways to try and rekindle the interest of your teen (or perhaps yourself) in music lessons and music in general. Not in any particular order, here are a few:

• Try learning a new instrument you haven't played before - Sometimes we get stuck in a rut playing the same instrument for years, and if we just try learning how to play something new maybe an instrument you've always wanted to play this would do the trick.
• Consider learning songs in a different genre - If you've been taking classical piano lessons for years and perhaps you're tired of it, try beginning to learn how to play popular songs from the radio and YouTube. This is a whole different experience and playing songs that are more familiar to you may help recharge your musical batteries.
• Try learning from a new teacher - It can be difficult to tell a teacher you've had for a while that you want to move on and try something different but sometimes that what you need to do. Get a new and different perspective from someone else who will undoubtedly have a different style of teaching. In fact don't be afraid to take lessons from several different teachers over time as you'll be amazed what different techniques and tips you'll learn from each one.
• Start learning how to write your own songs or instrumental compositions - If pop, country or R&B music is your favorite style then try your hand at writing some original songs; if jazz or classical is your specialty then write a few instrumental musical pieces in those genres. Learning the process of how to write your own music will open up your eyes and musical hearts to so many different possibilities.

That's all the ideas I can think of for now, but I'm sure we will add to this list over time. I got this idea for today's post from an article in the Irish Times about how to keep teenagers interested in music. One major theme they discuss is to share with your music students the social importance and impact of playing an instrument. Playing music with others either in a band, an ensemble or any type of musical group can be one of the most satisfying experiences you will ever have. To learn more about what Music Generations and Limerick Voices are doing over in Ireland to help teens stay interested please read Irish Times - How to Stop Teenagers from Tuning Out of Music Lessons

That's all for today boys and girls - Stop back in a few days for our next post. In the meantime go find a quiet spot and play some music, or better yet call some bands and do a jam session.

Music, Love & Laughter,

Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

What if the Beatles NEVER existed??

What do you think music would be like if the Beatles never existed? What if Elvis, Elton John, Billy Joel, Madonna, Taylor Swift or [Insert Your Favorite Artist] never wrote or sang a single song? What if most of the artists you grew up listening while growing up never played a note?? Can you imagine never hearing those songs that meant so much to you? Can you imagine what living in a world without all the music we've ever loved would be like?? Well neither can we!!

Most of the musical history we love and cherish so much was created by people whose very first experience learning to play an instrument or sing was in school. I believe our entire musical history past, present and future depends on continuing to keep music alive in our schools and communities. We need to keep as much music and arts education in our schools as possible. If we fail to do so, then the quality of new music we hear will diminish over time as young creative minds are no longer nurtured and encouraged to create.

As part of our “Keep Music Alive” mission, we are publishing a book on May 1st entitled “88+ Ways Music Can Change Your Life”. We are searching for inspirational music stories, anecdotes and quotes to include, and I was wondering if you might have a story or quote you’d like to share with the world? Our goal for “Keep Music Alive” is to raise the awareness of how important music is in all of our lives: educationally, therapeutically and our overall happiness. The book “88+ Ways” will help us spread this message with inspirational stories & quotes, highlights of recent research demonstrating the importance of music education plus tips for schools and communities trying to save or improve their music programs.

"88+ Ways Music Can Change Your Life"

Here are some questions that may give you some ideas for a quote or story:

• Did music help get you through a difficult time in your life?
• As a musician/performer or audience member, did you witness a particular touching situation involving music?
• Was there a particular song, or artist, that strongly resonated and influencing you while growing up?
• Was a there a person in your life who influenced you with their music?
• Did you learn to play an instrument or take part in your school's band or chorus and how did this experience affect you?
• Was music used to help you during a type of therapy, either to motivate you or to "just get you through it"?

When you look back now, how do you think your life is different, or has changed, because of music?

For more information on the book and story submissions please visit www.lovesongs.com/keepmusicalive or simply visit LoveSongs.com and click on “Keep Music Alive”. Our story submission deadline is Feb 28th, 2015 so still plenty of time to have your musical story included in "88+ Ways Music Can Change Your Life".

Please also LIKE our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/keepmusicalivemission and if you have questions about the book or mission you can email us at MusicStories (at) LoveSongs.com.

We hope you all have a great weekend and we'll be back on Sunday with another pppppost!

Music, Love & Happiness

Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

UK Artist Rumer: "Access to music should be every child’s basic right"

Greetings and Happy New Year 2015 to one and all! We've got big plans this year for LoveSongs.com and our "Keep Music Alive" Mission including publishing our book "88+ Ways Music Can Change Your Life" and the 1st Annual Teach Music America week coming this spring. We are still looking for inspirational music stories and quotes for the book, so if you've got something you'd like to share please visit www.lovesongs.com/keepmusicalive and let us know.

While researching for our mission, we recently came across an article about music education in the UK, and the title of the article really got our attention. It simply states: "Access to music should be every child’s basic right" and the quote came from UK singer-songwriter Rumer. Up to this point I had not been aware of her music, so I did some digging and really liked what I found. Her voice is eerily similar to Karen Carpenter ("We've Only Just Begun", "Close to You"), not a complete match fortunately, but with many of the same warm and beautiful qualities.

Rumer was speaking at the Westminster Education Forum which was an event held in the UK to discuss the future of music education. While there was much debate on the progress of improving music education and how best to continue, it was Rumer's comments that held the audience most captive. We at Keep Music Alive could not agree more. Every child no matter where they live or where they go to school should have the opportunity to be exposed to both music and music education. They should have the chance to learn how to play an instrument at an early age. Doing so would help open up their creativity in so many ways that would benefit both them and society later in life. We need to find a way to somehow make music and arts education an integral part of every childs education experience. When we finally do that, I believe we will be amazed at what the results for our world can be.

Here is the article from The Guardian that first introduced us to Rumer The Guardian - Access to Music Education is every Childs Basic Right. We also discovered another article where Rumer talks about her latest album and her adventure from the UK to California and what the change in scenery (and climate) have helped do for her and her music. Huffington Post - Rumer, California and Into Colour

Finally we'll leave you with an Album trailer for Rumer's new CD entitled "Into Coulour". I have to say I had not heard of an album trailer before (movie trailers yes), but it certainly sounds like a really good idea. Please take a look and listen to the latest musical works from Rumer including her song "Dangerous"' which has landed her once again on the UK Music Charts.

I hope your New Year has gotten off to great start...we'll be back soon with another post and more details about whats happening in 2015!

Music, Love & Happiness

Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

Playing Music Can Help Boost Your Memory

Thank goodness I started playing music when I was a kid, probably around 10 years old. If I hadn't begun reading music and playing the trombone in the 4th grade, I probably would have a worse memory then I already have :) Previous research has shown that playing music can lead to better language processing skills and enhanced working memory. Now new research has determined that playing music also allows musicians to be better able to store that established knowledge for the long-term.

Dr. Heekyeong Park, assistant professor of psychology along with other researchers from the University of Texas at Arlington, measured electrical neuron activity in the brains of 14 musicians who had been studying classical music for at least 15 years. They had these participants play memory games with both words and pictures while hooked up to an EEG (Electroencephalography) machine. This EEG machine records processing differences in the frontal and temporal lobes, and the memory games were designed to test both working and long term memory.

The study results revealed that the musicians scored higher than the control group of participants on both the working memory tests and the long term memory tests. Currently, the research team is not able to determine why musicians score higher on these memory tests, however these findings provide hope that perhaps some type of musical training may help those who have difficulty with cognitive and other memory challenges.

The team at the University of Texas at Arlington presented their findings in November 2014 at the Neuroscience 2014, the international meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, in Washington, D.C. - For more information on their study please visit them at www.uta.edu/news/releases/2014/11/music-memory.php We first heard about this study from our friends at the www.huffingtonpost.com - Musicians-Have-Better-Memory

That's for today folks - Happy Monday and just two more days till New Years Eve 2014 and a new beginning in 2015. We'll be back with another post before the clock strikes midnight on 12/31/2014!

Peace, Love & Happiness

Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

UK Inventor creates Brain Box to help paralyzed make music

Technology and music both will never cease to amaze us. We recently learned how one Brazilian born musician/inventor now living in the UK is helping people who are paralyzed create music using their brains. Eduardo Miranda has been on a mission for the last 11 years, ever since his eyes met someone who had "locked-in syndrome". This is a condition in which a patient is aware but cannot move or communicate verbally due to complete paralysis of nearly all voluntary muscles in the body except for the eyes. Mr. Miranda's latest invention is dubbed the "Brain Box", and with it he has found a way for these patients to create music just using their eyes.

This amazing device monitors brain activity through electrodes attached to the back of the head, and can determine where the persons eyes are looking. The person is then able to select which piece of music he wishes to hear by which icon on the screen he or she is looking at.

Miranda, who is head of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Computer Music Research at Plymouth University says:

"I wanted to create something to enable people with severe disabilities to make music. I was struck by an encounter I had once with a man who had had a stroke and was paralyzed completely from the neck down"

To me this technology is quite fascinating. and I can see so many uses for it even beyond playing music. I'm very interested to see just how far this can go someday. In the future, could we all have the computer record and play back music that we hear only in our heads?

To learn more about Eduardo Miranda and his work you can visit him at http://neuromusic.soc.plymouth.ac.uk/. To see where we first learned about this you can visit the KSPR news article here: KSPR.com - Brain-Box-Allows-Paralyzed-to-Make-Music

Mr. Miranda and his associates are also very involved in researching and developing software that can help create music. This video clip above explains a little about it and shows an orchestra playing a piece called "Mind Pieces" which was partially computer-inspired by birds and other natural occurring sounds that the "music creating"program

Well we made it past Christmas and I hope you had a wonderful time with your friends and family. New Years is right around the corner, stay tuned for another post for we hit the big 2015

Peace, Love & Happiness,

Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

Why a Little LESS Holiday Music is a Good Thing!

Every year the same thing happens. Radio stations and stores start playing Christmas Music even before we've put away all the Halloween decorations. Every year I think to myself - Don't they have a clue, that by the time we get to Christmas Day we can't even enjoy the holiday music anymore because we've been listening to it for at least 6 weeks.

First off, how about we let Thanksgiving be its own holiday. Maybe we can start a new tradition by coming up with some great Thanksgiving songs on the holiday we're supposed to be giving thanks - "Thomas the Tasty Turkey" or something like that :) Seriously though, it wouldn't hurt to have a couple of quality Thanksgiving songs that will help this important holiday stand out on its own.

We ran across some news recently where some store chains are now playing LESS holiday music during the Christmas season. Instead of playing "Rudolph", "White Christmas" and "Santa Claus is coming to Town" 24/7 over and over again, they are mixing in holiday songs along with non-holiday music that we love to hear. FINALLY - This makes the holiday music SPECIAL because its not played ALL the time. Chains like Starbucks, Victoria's Secret and H&M are helping to create this trend and I hope many more will join them soon.

Here's the full article on where we first heard about this trend and with any luck it will start to become the norm (along with some stores not opening at all on Thanksgiving so their employees can enjoy that holiday with their families):

Less Christmas Music at some Retail Stores - FINALLY!

Tell us your thoughts on Christmas music. Do you like to hear it on Thanksgiving, before Thanksgiving, not until after Thanksgiving?? I'm voting for the latter but am curious as to the what the general consensus is.

I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful December so far - It's gotten cold up here in the Northeast and Christmas is now just 12 days away ("On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to meeeeee....").

Peace, Love & Happiness

Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

Don't be Afraid to Advocate for the Arts - Should YOU Help??

Many of us absolutely believe that including the arts in education is a good thing. We know from decades of research that requiring the arts in education helps lead to students becoming more well rounded and better at traditional subjects like math, english, science and history. Students who have music and art courses go on to valuable and important non-arts careers like doctors, lawyers, engineers, scientists and more. However, despite the majority of us believing this is a good thing, not many are willing to advocate for the arts to be required or even included in elementary and secondary education. Even more surprising, is that many music and art teachers themselves don't appear to be openly rallying for this cause.

I came across an article published recently where the author, Stephanie Milling, does an excellent job of analyzing this situation and helping us understand some of the misconceptions that often deter us from fully advocating for the arts. Stephanie is the Assistant Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Winthrop University where she teaches Dance, Women’s Studies, and Honors coursework. Ms. Milling's list of possible reasons for our hesitancy to act includes the issue being seen as too political, or not wise to pursue being a state-employed teacher, or simply appearing as too big or too daunting a task. The responses that Stephanie gives for each of the reasons that hold people back are quite convincing. I believe if more teachers and non-teachers learned more about them they would be more likely to actively help promote the cause.

If you believe that our schools should at a minimum offer music and art education as an elective, then I urge you to check out this brief article and see if afterwards you don't want to jump in and help: Developing Arts Advocates - The Future of the Arts

Speaking of helping out, our "Keep Music Alive" Mission is looking for volunteers to help with research for our upcoming book "88+ Ways Music Can Change Your Life" and to help promote the cause both online and offline. Even if you can offer just a few hours a week either long term or short term your efforts would be really important. Any help you can offer would be absolutely appreciated PLUS you'll get your name in the book along with a complimentary copy once the book is released. Post a comment here or simply message us on Facebook over at www.facebook.com/KeepMusicAliveMission

That's all for today folks - Stop back in a days for another post and to keep up to date with "Keep Music Alive" please visit us on Facebook. Thanks and have a great Sundayyyy!

Music, Love & Laughter,

Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

Academy of Music for the Blind - Amazing Musicians!

We recently came across a very special music school from the Los Angeles area - All of the students share two things in common: The first is that they are all blind, and the second and most important thing is they all have a passion for music and have demonstrated an amazing musical talent at a young age.

The Academy of Music for the Blind was founded 11 years ago by Executive Director David Pinto who saw a void that needed to be filled. There are numerous music schools for children with sight, and extremely limited options for children who cannot see. David was fortunate to work with Ray Charles during the last two years of his life, and knows how important this mission was to Ray and wants to see it continue and grow.

A recent video released by the school features 9 year old Dorothy Cho performing the very popular "Let It Go" from the movie Frozen. It's clear from the first musical phrase she sings that her vocal ability and confidence while performing are well beyond her young years. I definitely look forward to hearing how her musical and vocal abilities grow over the next 5-10 years and seeing where her music career can take her.

About a year ago, 60 Minutes on CBS did an update on the school, reaching out to revisit 13 year old Rex Lewis whom they had featured 5 years earlier when he was just 8 years old. Despite being blind and having additional disabilities, Rex showed tremendous musical talent at that age and to see and hear him play now at 13 is utterly amazing.

The concept of a Music Academy for Blind children is soooo wonderful to me and I only wish there were more schools like it through out the US and world. Watching the 60 Minutes video featuring Rex, you can see where music being part of his life has made a tremendous difference in how far he has come with all his disabilities. If you would like to learn more and possibly donate to this cause, please visit the school @ Academy of Music for the Blind

Please enjoy the rest of your weekend and if you got hit with that early cold icy blast this week don't fret, spring will officially be here in just over 4 months :)

Music, Love & Laughter,

Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

Guest Post: WHY ARTS EDUCATION IS KEY IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

This is a guest post from Peter Carli, who is a Music Producer from Goldsboro, PA. Originally written to Dr. Todd Stoltz, who is the superintendent of the West Shore School District Cumberland and York Counties PA, this piece makes an incredibly clear and compelling case why arts education needs to remain in our schools. You can find Peter online at his website www.RadiationRoom.com with the originally article posted at www.radiationroom.com/articles/education.htm

Dear Dr. Stoltz,

As a resident of the West Shore School District, I am writing to you to voice my support for comprehensive arts education in our public schools.

The arts are vital to our lives and our nation and the reasons why are seemingly endless. Visual arts, music, theater, dance, creative writing, handicrafts, and other forms of creative expression enrich our lives. The arts also enlighten us as people and add vibrance and dynamics to our society. To understand and appreciate the arts is to understand and appreciate our culture. Poetry, painting, music and other art forms are important because they are a reflection of the lives we lead.

For example: Knowing the arts are key to understanding our country's history and what makes America "America". This is especially true of creative writing and music which tell stories that get passed from one generation to the next. A prime example of this is "The Star Spangled Banner" by Francis Scott Key. Not only is it our national anthem, it is also a living document and testimonial about a pivotal piece of American history and the resolve of the American people.

Investment in arts education benefits far more people than just visual art and music students. Studies have proven that professional fields of all types are enhanced from a well rounded education. The arts excel in teaching innovation, context, and excellence and strengthens a person's ability to think critically and "outside the box." Learning to draw helps in the development of fine eye-hand coordination and learning to play a musical instrument at a young age aids the development of a child's cognitive function. Other research reveals a strong link between music and visual arts education and higher achievement, both academically and in adulthood. The arts also teach how collaboration and independent thought work together and how to create original ideas that fit within existing frameworks, abilities that are vital in today's technological world.

Investment in the arts generates billions of dollars in economic activity which translates directly into jobs and influence, both at home and around the globe. America's top export is not technology, automotive, agriculture or weapons. It's music, book publishing, cinematography and fine arts. What America creates has a global market and the arts are a key component in the USA's status as the dominant world superpower.

As Americans, we should realize this better than anyone. It is America that created the concepts of free markets and mass distribution, which empowers creators and entrepreneurs by rewarding them. It is America that created the worldwide distribution framework that delivers information and entertainment to a global audience. We created the Walt Disneys and the Warner Brothers of the world, the tastemakers of art as entertainment. The film and TV studios of Hollywood are billion dollar enterprises selling fantasy and adventure to an eager audience. Visual artists such as Norman Rockwell and Andrew Wyeth are known throughout the world; their works serving as a window into American life. And it was America who created the modern record company and the soundtrack of our lives. And these businesses need an educated workforce.

Despite all the evidence of the benefits that comprehensive arts education provides our youngsters and society, there are a sub-set of people on the political right who fail to understand the need for the arts as part of our public school curricula. Some conservatives are outright hostile to the arts both in school and the community at large, and as America looses it's competitive edge and it's status as the dominant world superpower, I find their opposition quite disturbing. The role of the arts in society is of no less consequence than the roles of industry, science, health care, or banking.

Now think about what our lives would be like without our great American musicians, poets, visual artists and architects. How about our writers, photographers, filmmakers, and actors? Our country would lose its edge in a multitude of ways.

Visual arts, music, cinema, radio/TV, book publishing and other art forms create jobs and fills our tax coffers while promoting international good will and enriches our cultural identity and understanding. It's time that those with an axe to grind stop using public school arts programs as political chess pieces. By refusing to invest in arts education, we are in danger of creating a culturally stagnent society, robbing our communities of what makes them vibrant and unique, and creating disincentives towards investing in both our young people and our businesses here at home. And history will judge us harshly for it.

These are just some of many reasons why I encourage you to support music and art education in our public schools.

Best regards - Peter P. Carli II (Goldsboro/Etters PA)
RadiationRoom.com

500,000 Australian students sing "Paint You a Song"!

Last Thursday, October 30th, was a pretty awesome today for music education in Australia. At exactly 12:30 EDT, over 500,000 school students sang "Paint You a Song" in unison to support Music Education in Schools.

This event was created by an organization called Music: Count Us In which is a non-profit run by the Music Council of Australia with backing also from the Australian government. A review of Music Education in Australia completed in 2005 demonstrated the lack of meaningful music education in too many of the countries schools. Music: Count Us In was created to help push back the other way, offering resources to teachers, schools and communities to help offer better music training across the board to Australian students.

Music: Count Us In has been holding these events now for 7 years with each year getting bigger and stronger. This year over 500,000 (that's a half a Million) school students from 2100 schools in Australia will participate in the event. The song chosen to be sung is "Paint You a Song" which was written by 5 high school students from across Australia working with music industry mentor Harry James Angus, and Program Ambassador, John Foreman.

For more information on this excellent organization please visit www.MusicCountUsIn.org.au. Here are a couple of press articles from Australia about the event including some video clips from the event itself:

• Canberra Times - Matthew-Mitcham-Dives-in-to-Perform-With-Canberra-Schools
• Standard Net: South-West-Pupils-in-Harmony-with-the-Whole-of-Australia

It so wonderful and amazing to see this type of support form music in the land down under. We'll definitely be in contact with Music: Count Us In in the near future to see how we might learn from their successes to help improve music education here in the US.

That's all for today folks - hope you had a great Halloween weekend (twick or tweet) and don't eat too much candyyyyyy!

Music, Love & Laughter

Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

Halloween Music to Scare Your Night Away

Other than Christmas, Halloween is the one holiday that has the most songs and music soundtracks associated it. I'm sure we can all name 4 or 5 "Halloween" related songs off the top of our head starting with "Thriller" (Michael Jackson), "Monster Mash" (Boris Pickett), "Werewolves of London" (Warren Zevon) and "Ghostbusters" (Ray Parker Jr) to name just a few.

Then we also have a multitude of scary movie soundtracks that will get stuck in our head as we attempt to peacefully drift off to sleep. The two that haunt my sub-conscious are "Tubular Bells" from The Exorcist and the original "Halloween" Movie Soundtrack. There is of course another movie soundtrack that brings fear into the hearts and minds of almost anyone listening and that is the "Jaws" music. That, of course, is more of a summer beach thing then a Halloween related soundtrack, unless you want to associate it with Land Shark character knocking on your door from the old Saturday Night Live Days :)

Lists of favorite Halloween songs and soundtracks have probably been made for the last 40-50 years. Here's a list of great 31 tunes that would be perfect for any Halloween party, brought to us by Mashable.com: Mashable.com: Halloween Music Spotify Playlist

Then here's a list that the Pittsburgh Post Gazette compiled by asking local area musicians about their favorite - You'll note that this list leaves out all of the obvious favorites and delves deeper (and sometimes darker) into the musical archives: Pittsburgh Post Gazette: Some Scary Suggestions for Halloween Listening

Finally here is a list of the top 10 horror movie soundtracks brought to us by the Dallas Observer: Dallas Observer: Top 10 Horror Movie Soundtracks

What we learn from all of this of course, is that music has always been used to help set the mood in whatever setting we're going for. No where is that more apparent then in a movie where we're hoping to get the wits scared out of us :)

I'll leave you with 3 of my favorite Halloween related songs and soundtracks - Enjoy and don't close your eyes too soon tonight ha ha ha

"Thriller": (Original 13 minute mini-movie & music video:

"Werewolves of London":

"Halloween Movie Soundtrack": (Michael Myers Lives Forever)

That's all for today boys and girls - Be sure to dress up and go out for some treats tooooonight!

Music, Love & Laughter

Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

Turn up the BASS If you Wanna Get More Done

It has been said that music is a powerful motivator, and research has once again proved this theory. Researcher Dennis Hsu did a recent study at the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University, and the results demonstrated that by listening to powerful music, we become more motivated and confident both in work and social situations. The study took a group of undergraduate students and had them listen to a pre-selected group of music clips that included a multitude of styles including pop, heavy Metal, Reggae and Hip Hop. The students rated each music clip for how powerful and determined it made them feel. The study then used each students own top 3 "powerful" music choices for the next phase of the study. What the study found was that the students top 3 powerful music choices helped them see the bigger picture when completing a task. When working in a group, their "power music" enabled them to speak up and contribute sooner to what the group was trying to accomplish. The "power music" had the effect of making each student more sure of themselves, more sure of their own skills and opinions and more in control of the outcome of future events.

The study also revealed that its often the energy of the bass in the music that helps make a song feel more powerful to the listener. So it appears that singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor really knew what she was talking about when she sings

"Its all about that bass, 'bout the bass, no treble
all about that bass, 'bout that bass no treble".

If you've been living on another star system and haven't yet heard this catchy little ditty from Ms. Trainor here is your chance with a video clip that's been watched by almost 200 million people to date:

Here's a link to the full article where I first read about the "power music" study KDVR - Turn up the Bass Music to Make You Feel More Powerful

We all know that many world-class athletes pump themselves up prior to their performance by listening to their own power music. One of my favorites has always been "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor. I'll leave you with the video clip that that power nugget and will be back to you in a few days with another fun & informative post.

Music, Love & Laughter,

Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

Heard any good Babylonian Love Songs Lately??

Believe it or not, there was most definitely music in ancient times. While written records and notations telling us exactly what the music might have sounded like don't exist, there were enough clues left behind to let us know that music did indeed exist. Stef Conner is a performer, composer and musicologist who is working with a group that recreated an ancient lyre and is trying to reverse engineer music from the 2nd millennium BC. Originally from Sussex, England, Conner has performed across multiple continents to critical acclaim all along the way. With a PhD in composition, she has studied jazz, classical and many other forms of music. Her training and worldly musical experiences have definitely helped prepare her for what many would consider an amazing challenge: How to write music that sounds like what ancient music would have really sounded like

Conner was able use her skills and knowledge to make the long leap from modern folk music to possible ancient love songs by teaming up with Andy Lowings, and the Gold Lyre of Ur Project. This project actually built a replica of a 4,550-year-old Mesopotamian gold lyre and asked Stef to compose music for the lyre. When asked how she attempts to best write compositions that might sound something like ancient Mesopotamian music, Conner states:

"I propose to look for features that recur frequently in living music linked to Mesopotamia. The point is to look for the most consistent features in a widely dispersed collection of music. The most commonly occurring will be those most likely to have been features of Mesopotamian music, either because they have been preserved through musical lineages branching out from Mesopotamia, or because external influences have caused them to be invented over and over."

Last year, Conner and the Gold Lyre of UR Project recorded the results—an album of contemporary music, sung in Babylonian, called The Flood, which will be out December 2014.

We originally learned about Stef and her ancient music project via Slate Magazine - Babylonian Music Recreated . To reach Stef Conner directly you can go to her website Stef Conner - The Lyre Ensemble .

I'll leave you with a short video clip from the Gold Lyre of Ur Project which by the date appears to possible before Conner was involved. Some fascinating pictures of ancient artifacts straight from British and other museums along with some ancient sounding melodies. Please enjoy and we'll see you for another post very soon!

Music, Love & Laughter,

Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

Music helps teacher speak again after brain surgery

Allison Woyiwada is a music teacher from Ottawa, Canada, and had literally taught thousands of elementary school students in her 28 year career. In 2012, she was diagnosed with an brain aneurysm which required a very delicate and risky surgery. When she emerged from the surgery, her family quickly realized that she had lost most of her motor and speech skills. Two months after the surgery she basically had the skills of toddler, unable to even put two words together.

Then a miracle happened. Her daughter was pushing Allison in a wheelchair through a hospital waiting area and saw a piano. She wheeled her mom up to the piano and then something amazing happened. Allison started to play the piano, and not just any song. She began to play the Beethoven Sonata sheet music that was sitting on the piano at the time. Her daughter and everyone around was absolutely astonished. Allison soon began working with a music therapist who used a method called "melodic intonation therapy" to help bring back her speech. Today, just two years after the surgery, Allison is almost fully recovered and is once again teaching music and even sings in French, German and English.

Stories like Allison's never cease to amaze me. Once again, musical therapy has proven to be a sometimes miraculously tool when someone is up against something seemingly insurmountable. For the full account of Allison's amazing journey and recovery thanks to music, I invite you to check out the newly published book entitled "Allison's Brain" by author Robert McMechan found on Amazon.com right here: Allison's Brain - Amazon.com

I first learned of this story through CBCNews and CBC Radio in Ottawa. Here's a link to the CBC Radio story in Ottawa by Anna Maria Tremonte Allisons Brain Documentary

That's our inspirational story of the week, and I hope you liked it as much as we did. We'll be back tomorrow night with a new post, and if you've got an inspirational story to share please let us know about it. Thanks and goooood nite all!

Music, Love & Laughter,

Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

"KEEP MUSIC ALIVE" mission launches on Facebook today!!!

Today we've launched our "Keep Music Alive" mission on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KeepMusicAliveMission, and we are soooo excited.

As you may already know, we are on a MISSION to promote how valuable and important music is in all of our lives: Academically, Therapeutically or just overall making us a happier society. As part of this mission, our new book “88 Ways Music Can Change Your Life” will feature original quotes, anecdotes and stories relating how music has affected the lives of people all over the world. We are currently searching for inspirational stories, anecdotes & quotes for possible inclusion in the book.

In addition to inspirational stories, “88 Ways” will also feature some of the more recent research supporting the importance of music, plus practical suggestions and examples of what schools & communities can do to help bring music back despite the recent arts & music budget cuts.

Our life experiences make us who we are today. Many of us credit music as playing a vital role in who we have become and where we are in our lives.

• Did music help get you through a difficult time in your life?
• Was there a particular song, or artist, that strongly resonated with you?
• Was a there a person in your life who influenced you with their music?
• Was there a family member or friend who played an instrument, or sang, and made you more aware of the musical world around you?
• Did you learn to play an instrument or take part in your school’s band or chorus?
• Was music used to help you during a type of therapy, either to motivate you or to “just get you through it”?

When you look back now, how do you think your life is different, or has changed, because of Music?

If you have a story you’d like to share with the world, we would LOVE to hear it. No story is insignificant because your story comes from your life, which is special and unique. Please email your original stories, quotes or anecdotes about “how music changed your life” to: MusicStories@LoveSongs.com. You will hear back from us within 72 hours confirming we have received your submission. Also, please let us know how you would like your name to appear with your story (full name, first name, etc) and tell us your city/state and/or country where you reside.

By submitting your original quote, anecdote and story, you are granting permission for them to be shared:

• in the book,
• at conferences & discussion groups,
• Radio, TV, print and internet interviews, blog posts & articles

All entries submitted will be considered for inclusion in our book “88+ Ways Music Can Change Your Life” which will be published in March 2015. Each person whose quote, anecdote or story is included in the book, will receive a complimentary copy, once it is published. No other compensation will be offered.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be used to help keep music alive with funds going to a variety of music charities that bring music instruments and instruction into schools.

For more information about our mission, please visit: LoveSongs.com and click on “Keep Music Alive”. And please don't forget to LIKE the Facebook page for www.facebook.com/KeepMusicAliveMission

p.s. The deadline for story submissions is December 1st, 2014. Please share this message with musicians and others you believe may have a story to share.

That's all for today folks, we'll be back tomorrow with another post - yay we did 3 days in a rowwwww!

Music, Love & Laughter,

Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com

AMAZING - 41% Increase in Music Education in the UK over the last 15 years, BUT...

I was astounded to read that over the last 15 years, there has been a 41 percent increase in the number of kids in the UK that know how to play an instrument. WOW, that's just amazing! A study by ABRSM, the exam board of the Royal School of Music, also found that the piano, recorder and classical guitar were the favorites with drums, electric guitar and bass guitar not far behind. Now, I'm thinking if they did this in the 60's, guitar, bass and drums would have been tops thanks to the Beatles and the entire British music invasion.

But, back to the topic: In an article I just read, the Royal School of Music study credits this positive musical trend on recent government initiatives, particularly in England. The piece doesn't specifically mention what those initiatives are, but perhaps we need to dig a little deeper. Some of these ideas could possibly be implemented in the US and other countries.

One interesting thing about the article: It mentions that the children from well-off families have a much higher chance of playing an instrument, which itself is not surprising. But I also found it very odd that the title of the article mentions that fact, but not the dramatic increase in the number and percentage of kids playing an instrument. I know as musicians, and for me especially, as part of our "Keep Music Alive" mission, we want to shout out from the mountain tops "WE NEED MORE MUSIC!". But we also need to trumpet out the good news stories where more music is being played. This provides a fairer and more balanced (and ultimately more believable) argument, and also provides us with positive examples that others can learn from.

Here's a link to the article - take a read and post your comments and let me know your thoughts on the topic: Music education still a preserve of the rich, UK study shows

On Deck: Pat DiCesare and "Hard Days, Hard Nights"

We're back on the blog kick folks and we're gonna try to do at least one short blog post EVERY day. Tomorrow we'll be talking about my new music friend Pat DiCesare who is a legend in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania concert world. Pat was instrumental in bringing The Beatles to their one and only appearance in Pittsburgh back in 1964. He also went on to produce hundreds of concerts over 40 plus years, hosting acts like Led Zeppelin, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations and many, many more. So look for the new post on Pat and his new book Hard Days, Hard Nights tomorrow. Till then have a grrrreat nite all!

Music, Love & Laughter,

Vincent James @ LoveSongs.com